Two drug dealers, Jordan McCourt-Knight and Harley Hall, were sentenced to over 12 years in prison combined after an extraordinary blunder led to their arrest. McCourt-Knight, 30, accidentally left a backpack filled with ketamine worth up to $50,000 on a train in Newport, Wales. Shockingly, he reported the bag missing, prompting train station staff to discover the illegal contents and alert authorities.
McCourt-Knight was arrested at the station, where he was found carrying other drugs and paraphernalia. Investigators traced messages on his phone, linking him to Hall, 28, who was later caught with thousands of dollars in cash and over a kilo of cannabis at his home. Detectives uncovered an extensive drug ring that sourced and distributed various substances across the UK and beyond, even tracing connections to suppliers in Portugal.
Detective Sergeant Dan Murdoch commended the officers for unraveling the operation, noting McCourt-Knight’s arrogance in boasting about his encrypted communications, which ultimately backfired. Murdoch emphasized the harm caused by such drug rings, which exploit vulnerable individuals while profiting from illicit substances.
McCourt-Knight received a sentence of six years and three months for multiple counts of conspiracy to supply drugs, while Hall was sentenced to five years and 10 months for similar charges, including possession with intent to supply. Authorities celebrated the arrests as a significant blow to drug operations in the region.
